Exeunt
by August Rose
Summary: Fluffy yet angsty semi-PWP 1x2 fic. Heero, Relena and Duo attend a costume ball. Duo, hidden behind a mask, can finally express his feelings. *Part two looks at Heero's POV*
1. Duo's Dream

Exeunt  
_1st Half... Duo's Dream_  
By Sapphire Reine

_Author says_: An impressively sweet angstfic (*cough*) about Heero and Duo, from Duo's POV.  
_Credentials (what make the fic worth reading :P;;)_: Angst, uh... Sap, Shounen-ai, 1x2, Crossdressing XD, OOC-ness >  
_I suppose I should disclaim_: They not mine-- none of em. T_T

****

A party is the perfect time for love. Everyone's spirits are freer because of the alcohol and nobody remembers much in the morning. A costume party is even more ideal. behind a costume and mask you can be whatever and whoever you want. It is a place for dreams to start-- and a place for them to die.  
---

Duo approached his quarry, the skirts of his antique-style french dress rustling about his ankles. He was sure that he was unidentifiable- his honey brown hair was swept up and powdered and his face was also covered in a film of white. He had padded his chest enough to give the hint of womanly curves, but no more. Heero refused to get swept up in the costumed revelry, wearing a black tuxedo and black mask- a perfect, beautiful phantom.  
Heero turned around and stared straight at him. He swallowed hard and fought the urge to run as he returned the glance with a saucy wink and made his way towards the other boy. As he neared, his heart almost stopped again. _She_ was there. How was it that the one he loved to the exclusion of all thought had given his heart to her... to Relena. He stopped and turned away, tears pooling in his eyes and threatening to spill over.  
The looks they had shared, Heero and Relena. Duo could practically read the love in his eyes and it tore him apart. He turned back again. Tonight was the only night that he could give voice to his feelings, even if it was under a different face. Tomorrow he would one again be the cheerful Shinigami, a comrade and no more. He walked resolutely towards the other boy, pasting a smile on his face. Quickly his eyes took in every detail of the other's face, committing them to memory. Finally he reached his destination. His smile became suggestive.  
"Why hello," he said seductively. He was a brilliant actor.  
Heero merely stared, then he narrowed his eyes and Duo had the uneasy feeling that the other boy could see straight into his soul. The feeling passed. Heero looked briefy at Relena and Duo's heart stopped. Then he gave her a quick, chaste hug.  
"If you'll excuse us, my lady," he said quietly.  
Duo's heart pounded in his chest. Heero turned to him.  
"May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked, smiling slightly. Duo, shaking, nodded.  
As Heero led him out onto the dance floor, the music started.  
_The Show Must Go On_ by Queen.  
Duo thought sadly that it was appropriate.  
---

_Empty spaces - what are we waiting for_  
_Abandoned places - I guess we know the score_  
_On and on_  
_Does anybody know what we are looking for_

Heero drew him close, as they started moving in time with the music. His heart was an abandoned place. Even he didn't dare to visit it often. It was too painful. He leaned into the embrace, at least here, as a nameless woman, he could love the boy who didn't love him back. For a while that would be enough... maybe. On and on... the monotony of his life captured him. He had nothing- no one. He was alone, condemned to be so by his own foolish heart.

_Another hero another mindless crime_  
_Behind the curtain in the pantomime_  
_Hold the line_  
_Does anybody want to take it anymore_

He imitated the gestures of a woman with faultless grace, following Heero's lead in the dancing and allowing himself to feel the warmth from Heero's chest.

_The show must go on_  
_The show must go on_  
_Inside my heart is breaking_  
_My make-up may be flaking_  
_But my smile still stays on_

Duo closed his eyes to hide stop the tears once again. He kept smiling, however. His eyes were mostly hidden by the half-mask he wore, but his mouth could be seen by everyone. Heero's touch was polite and impersonal. Looking up into Heero's eyes, Duo saw only politeness. He looked harder. There was something beneath that he couldn't tease out. Did Relena love him as Duo would? Did she give him unconditional love as Duo would? Was Heero content? What right had Duo to make miserable the one person he truly wanted to be happy?

_Whatever happens I'll leave it all to chance_  
_Another heartache another failed romance_  
_On and on_  
_Does anybody know what we are living for_

He wondered why he kept on with life. He wasn't needed, wasn't loved. If he left all he'd leave behind would be a string of failed loves and misguided affections. He hoped, dully, that someone would kill him and end it all, but still he smiled. Smiled like it was his one salvation.

_My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies_  
_Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die_  
_I can fly - my friends_

He was a fool to carry on with this charade. He should rip the mask off then and there, but something stayed his hand. To expose himself was to isolate himself from Heero for good. The show _must_ go on. Even if he was only a secondary character in the story of Heero's romance, he would rather stay as a good guy. To rip off the mask there... he would become a stick in the well running machine, an inconvenience that must be removed. If he removed the mask now... Heero would never speak to him again.

_The show must go on - yeah_  
_The show must go on_  
_I'll face it with a grin_  
_I'm never giving in_  
_On with the show_

If only Heero would direct _one_ of those looks at him. Just one. He would be content with knowing that just for a moment Heero had loved him, for whatever reason. He looked up again at that face as their bodies flowed to the rhythm of the music. The face was distant, looking off somewhere behind Duo with a glazed, slightly frightening look, yet Heero's lips also curved upwards. The smile is a deceitful expression. Still, no matter what Heero did, who he loved, Duo would never leave him. he was content just to stand on the sidelines, loving Heero with a single-minded passion that would not- could not be reciprocated.

_I'll top the bill_  
_I'll overkill_  
_I have to find the will to carry on_  
_On with the_  
_On with the show_

The show _must_ go on. For everyone's sake.

_The show must go on_

Duo stepped back slowly as the dance ended. The moment was over.  
"Thankyou for the dance," he said quietly.  
"Thank_you_, Princess," Heero replied courteously.  
---

Duo felt Heero's hot gaze on his back as he retreated as gracefully as he could manage.  
_Up the stairs... out of his sight... into a spare bedroom... shut the door..._  
He sank to the floor beside the door, his breath coming in shuddering sobs as he buried his face in his hands.  
_Heero..._  
He curled into foetal position and pressed his eyes shut as he struggled to regain control of his emotions. Images flitted before his eyes.  
_Relena, kissing Heero... Relena hugging Heero... The two of them going off alone..._  
He breathed deeply several times and opened his eyes again, ready to face the party once more. Standing up, the first thing he was aware of was that he wasn't alone. His eyes were caught by the other's deep blue ones. He froze.  
"Hello, Princess," Heero said cautiously.  
"Hello," said Duo quietly. He coudn't handle being alone with Heero. He was choking. Trying to keep from crying, laughing maniacally and throwing himself into the stronger boy's arms.  
"You remind me of someone..." Heero said slowly... assessingly.  
Duo's heart stopped beating. In a moment, Heero was beside him, gently removing the mask and staring down at the face he knew so well as Duo cringed back in his arms.  
"Duo..."  
Duo sighed and his eyes once again filled with tears.  
"Heero... I..."  
"Shhhhh..." Heero was still staring at him. "No words."  
Duo closed his eyes once again. His breathing spead up and became harsher as he fought the wracking sobs that threatened to shake his fragile frame. He didn't want to see the expression in Heero's eyes. He remained that way, eyes closed, withdrawing into himself while still locked in Heero's arms for a full 2 minutes before the lack of action from the other boy caused him to look up. Heero met his gaze with a probing, thoughtful gaze of his own.  
"A Masked Ball is a good night for make believe," Heero said thoughtfully.  
Duo looked down and was absolutely shocked when Heero's arms tightened around him.  
"Heero..."  
He was stopped from saying any more by the astonishing sensation of being swept off his feet and deposited on his back on a bed. Before he could gain his bearings, his view of the ceiling was blocked by a head. He stared up at Heero, unable to move with his hands pinned by Heero's beside his head.  
Heero stared down at him for a long moment before smiling slightly.  
"Princess..."  
Duo almost sighed. No matter how this night turned out, he had the uneasy feeling that Heero would call him Princess from now on, mockingly or-he wished- lovingly.  
The thought was interrupted by the press of hot lips on his. His eyes widened as his body tensed in shock. Heero pulled back. Duo, not entirely pleased with this, strained against the other boy's restraining arms, trying to recapture those lips.  
Heero smiled. his hands tangled in Duo's hair, trying to free it from the feminine style. That accomplished he stripped Duo of the dress, very gently. Duo just lay there, stunned as he was stripped of his disguise and left in boxer shorts. Heero stared at him.  
"No illusions."  
Duo sighed. "No illusions" he murmured.  
Satisfied, Heero pulled Duo into a sitting position before capturing his lips once again. His hands wound through Duo's hair as the other pilot felt himself returning Heero's lust.  
_no... NO!_  
Suddenly Duo pushed Heero away and lept up from the bed.  
"Damn it, Heero!" he almost shouted. "Don't toy with me! You don't love me. You love Relena! Don't mock my emotions!" his voice decreased in volume. "That's cruel."  
Due retreated into himself once more, curling up on the floor and giving Heero a tasty view of silky skin and muscle.  
In his style, Heero responded with few words. "Relena's a fool," he made his way to the ball of misery and gathered the boy into his arms for another searing embrace. Relenting, Duo settled with a content sigh, reaching up to cup Heero's face. His finger traced the line from Heero's cheekbone down his obstinate jaw and back to his mouth. Then he tilted his head up and recieved another kiss that he so craved and needed.   
Suddenly, Heero drew them both to their feet. He wrapped his arms around the other boy, drawing them chest to chest, thigh to thigh, his arms resting in the small of Duo' back. Duo leaned his head on Heero's neck, fitting in perfectly under his chin.  
Eventually Heero said quietly, "Are you ready to go back to the dance?"  
_A vicious game_  
Duo was silent for a while then, "Yes."  
With the tenderness of a lover, Heero helped Duo back into his costume and found some Talcum Powder so Duo could coax his hair into some semblance of its original state. Heero slipped out the door. Understanding, Duo waited another 10 minutes before re-entering the party from a different door. There was the perfect phantom, once again captured by her.  
Duo smiled and for the first time, the was happiness, or at least contentment, behind the expression. Heero had given him an invaluable gift. For those brief moments, Duo had been loved. His eyes met Heero's across the room and Duo finally understood that strange look in them. Longing.  
He closed his eyes once again.  
Life was a cruel play to throw him a ray of hope, in the form of this all-too-brief rendezvous, yet he couldn't help but cling to it.  
Exeunt.

_Exeunt_

**Owari**

Author says: They certainly had the "Miaka..." "Tamahome..." thing going there for a while. -o- Review or i'll send _you_ a mail bomb. -3- 


	2. Heero's Dream

Exeunt  
_2nd Half... Heero's dream_  
By Sappire Reine

_Author says_: Part 2... exactly the same story as the 1st half, except from Heero's perspective  
_Credentials (what make the fic worth reading :P;;)_: Angst, uh... Sap, Shounen-ai, 1x2, Crossdressing XD, OOC-ness ^^;  
_I suppose I should disclaim_: They not mine-- none of em. T_T

****

A party is the perfect time for love. Everyone's spirits are freer because of the alcohol and nobody remembers much in the morning. A costume party is even more ideal. behind a costume and mask you can be whatever and whoever you want. It is a place for dreams to start-- and a place for them to die.  
---

Heero watched the msterious Lady out of the corner of his eye. There was something familiar about her; A vague whisper of Deja vu. He shook off the sensation with annoyance, but kept watching the Lady. Oh no, this woman was more than a lady. This woman carried herself with the poise and assurance of a Princess.  
Catching the woman staring at him, he turned and stared straight back at her. Openly assessing and inviting. The Princess winked at him and made her way over. Then she stopped and turned away. He raised his arm slightly, hoping she would turn back. She did and he was treated to a brilliant smile. The sense of recognition grew deeper and he couldn't ignore it.  
Suddenly his heart jumped. _Duo!_ that's who the Princess reminded him of. He finally understood the sense of recognition. He finally understood why he was drawn to the Princess. She reached him and flashed another brilliant, suggestive smile. _Just like Duo's smile,_ his heart whispered.  
"Why hello," she said in a husky voice.  
Heero merely stared, then he narrowed his eyes at the woman. He felt a deep sadness and longing in her, but he couldn't divine what it was caused by. Heero turned to Relena, who stood beside him. He have her a chaste hug, aware that anything more than that could deepen her misconception of him.  
"If you'll excuse us, my lady," he said quietly to Relena.  
Heero turned to the other woman.  
"May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked, smiling slightly. She nodded.  
As Heero led her out onto the dance floor, the music started.  
_The Show Must Go On_ by Queen.  
Heero wondered why the DJ has chosen such a mournful song to play.  
---

_Empty spaces - what are we waiting for_  
_Abandoned places - I guess we know the score_  
_On and on_  
_Does anybody know what we are looking for_

Heero drew the Princess close. She was so pliant under his hands as they moved in time to the music. It made him want her. That opened up an emptyness he had denied for months while he lived the lie of the perfect soldier.

_Another hero another mindless crime_  
_Behind the curtain in the pantomime_  
_Hold the line_  
_Does anybody want to take it anymore_

Heero led the gentle dance as the woman lent in against his chest. He sighed softly. More and more, he was reminded of Duo. He found himself imagining that it was Duo under the mask. Found himself wanting Duo. Needing Duo.

_The show must go on_  
_The show must go on_  
_Inside my heart is breaking_  
_My make-up may be flaking_  
_But my smile still stays on_

Heero stared down at the top of her head. It was powdered, but if he tried hard, he could imagine that the hair was honey brown. He could imagine pulling it out of the elaborate curls and running his hair through it. Where was Duo tonight? He looked around the room, but nowhere could he recognise the Shinigami's slim figure or distinctive braid. He stared again at the head nestled beneath his chin. He could feel the slender body beneath his hands shaking. Was she cold?

_Whatever happens I'll leave it all to chance_  
_Another heartache another failed romance_  
_On and on_  
_Does anybody know what we are living for_

Where _was_ Duo? Heero suddenly felt the desperate need to be near the other pilot. He wanted to converse easily and lightly with him and imagine what could never be. Heero smiled slightly as he imagined Duo, all affronted innocence as Heero teased him.

_My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies_  
_Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die_  
_I can fly - my friends_

Heero felt like a fool. He was the perfect soldier. These feelings of devotion were out of place for him. Everyone expected him to dance attendance on Relena and that's what he should be doing. He caught a glimpse of her talking easily to some man. The show _must_ go on. He wondered where Duo was. Duo had said he was attending... maybe he had gone to the bathroom. _Or maybe he's up in one of the bedrooms with a pretty girl_. A muscle in Heero's chest contracted at that unwelcome thought.

_The show must go on - yeah_  
_The show must go on_  
_I'll face it with a grin_  
_I'm never giving in_  
_On with the show_

The dance was nearly over. Heero felt it with an aching sense of loss. Soon he would have to give up his Princess and return to the play that people thought was life. He knew he couldn't go back to Relena now.

_I'll top the bill_  
_I'll overkill_  
_I have to find the will to carry on_  
_On with the_  
_On with the show_

The show _must_ go on. For everyone's sake.

_The show must go on_

The Princess stepped back slowly as the dance ended. The moment was over.  
"Thankyou for the dance," she said quietly.  
"Thank_you_, Princess," Heero replied courteously.  
---

Heero stood on the edge of the dance floor as the Princess retreated up the stairs  
_Where is Duo?_  
Reluctantly he turned back to where he had last seen Relena. She wasn't there. He felt a vague sense of relief. Turning back to the stairs, he battled with himself. He could follow her. He brushed the front of his costume lightly with his hand. It came away wet.  
_Tears?_  
That explained the shuddering he had felt during the dance. That decided him. he couldn't let his Princess be in pain. He hurried up the stairs.  
_And where is Duo?_  
Hearing the muffled sound of sobs, he eased himself into a room. There she was, curled in the foetal position, sobbing like her heard was breaking. The sense of recognition returned with stabbing urgency. she looked up and tear lined blue eyes framed by the mask caught him. She gasped.  
"Hello, Princess," Heero said cautiously.  
"Hello," she replied. Her husky voice was rough. It aroused him.  
"You remind me of someone..." Heero said slowly, deciding to be honest.  
Taking her in his arms, he gently removed the mask. Suddenly, he understood. The features fell together.  
"Duo..."  
Duo sighed and his eyes filled with tears.  
"Heero... I..."  
"Shhhhh..." Heero was still staring at the other boy. "No words."  
Duo closed his eyes. His breathing spead up and became harsher. Heero stared in wonder at Duo's perfect features. Duo remained that way, eyes closed, and Heero sensed him withdrawing into himself. Heero enjoyed the freedom to memorise Duo's perfect face for a full 2 minutes before his lack of action caused the other boy to look up. Heero met his eyes with a probing, thoughtful gaze.  
"A Masked Ball is a good night for make believe," He said hopefully.  
Heero let his arms tighten around Duo as the other boy avoided his eyes.  
"Heero..."  
Heero gave in to need. He swept Duo off his feet and gently deposited him on the bed. Heero rolled on top of Duo, blocking the other's view of the ceiling. Duo stared up at Heero, unable to move with his hands pinned by Heero's beside his head.  
Heero stared down at him for a long moment before smiling slightly.  
"Princess..."  
Heero fought it, as he stared down at Duo, who seemed locked in some quiet inner musing. He fought it as hard as he could, but in the end the impulse just overwhelmed him. He hoped Duo would forgive him and swooped down, capturing Duo's slightly parted lips in a searing, heartstopping kiss. Duo's eyes flashed wide open and his body tensed in shock. Heero pulled back, repentant. Duo frowned and strained against the other boy's restraining arms, trying to recapture those lips.  
Heero smiled. He finally allowed his hands to tangle in Duo's hair, as he had dreamed of doing all night. Then stripped Duo of the dress, very gently. Duo just lay there as he was stripped of his disguise and left in boxer shorts. Heero stared down at him adoringly.  
"No illusions."  
Duo sighed. "No illusions" he murmured.  
Satisfied, Heero pulled Duo into a sitting position before capturing his lips once again. His hands wound through Duo's hair again as he felt the other pilot start to respond.  
Suddenly Duo pushed Heero away and lept up from the bed.  
"Damn it, Heero!" he almost shouted. "Don't toy with me! You don't love me. You love Relena! Don't mock my emotions!" his voice decreased in volume. "That's cruel."  
Duo curled up on the floor, giving Heero a tasty view of silky skin and muscle.  
Heero was suprised. he hadn't realised this was the cause of Duo's sadness. "Relena's a fool," he responded shortly. He made his way to the ball of misery and gathered the boy into his arms for another searing embrace. Finally, all the tension drained from Duo's body and he settled with a content sigh, reaching up to cup Heero's face. His finger traced the line from Heero's cheekbone down jaw and back to his mouth. Heero's heart pounded in his mouth and a tide of desire overtook him. Sensing his mood, Duo lifted his head and recieved another desperate kiss from the other pilot.   
Suddenly, Heero drew them both to their feet. He wrapped his arms around the other boy, drawing them chest to chest, thigh to thigh, his arms resting in the small of Duo' back. Duo leaned his head on Heero's neck, fitting in perfectly under his chin.   
_Just like the Dance. It feels so good to have him there._  
Eventually Heero said quietly, "Are you ready to go back to the dance?"  
Duo was silent for a while. Then, "Yes."  
With the tenderness of a lover, Heero helped Duo back into his costume and found some Talcum Powder so Duo could coax his hair into some semblance of its original state. Heero slipped out the door and hurried down the hall. His heart was doing a quick-step in his chest. Down the stairs. There she was. Quickly, he tried to avoid her, but she saw him. With a sigh, he made his was over to Relena and bowed to her.  
"Where did you go?" she asked.  
"Just to the bathroom," Heero lied easily.  
He saw the Princess make her way down the other staircase. He smiled slightly as she caught his eyes.  
His Princess. His Duo. He couldn't wait to have another dance.  
Bowing again to Relena, he excused himself. When he turned back, the Princess was nowhere to be found.  
He smiled wistfully. Another nght, then. Another night they would continue the play.  
Exeunt.

_Exeunt_

**Owari**

Author says: aahaha. x.x This is TRASHY. o_O Thankyou to ffNET writer Keirra Maxwell for suggesting in her review that i do Heero's perspective. ^^; Everyone was saying 'do a sequel!' but it seemed so neatly finished to me... i couldn't think how to continue it! o_O 


End file.
